Stocking



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. SCOTT AND LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

sTocKlNe.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 430,695, dated June 24, 1890.

Application filed June 20, 1889. Serial No. 31i,988f (Nomodel.)r l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT WV. SCOTT and LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Stockings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to so knit a stocking that it will be full-fashioned (that is to say, properly shaped) throughout, but can be more cheaply and readily produced than an ordinary full-fashioned stocking; and this object We attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures l, 2, and 3 are diagrams showing the successive stages in the production of a knitted stocking in accordance with our invention, and Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams serving to illustrate the method of producing the improved stocking.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the wales are represented by plain lines, the views being on too small a scale to warrant the representation of the stitches of which the wales are composed.

In carrying out our invention we first form the leg portion of the stocking, with properlyshaped heel thereon, and then knit to this leg portion a shaped tube for the body of the foot, in the manner which we will now proceed to describe.

In making the leg we use, by preference, a machine having opposite rows of needles A B, Fig. 4, and we preferably start the leg at the bottom of the heel by forming an initial course in rib stitch upon the needles of both rows throughout the length desired for the bottom of the heel, the thread being applied rst to a needle of the row A and then to a needle of the opposite row B, and so on. The thread is then traversed or carried during the knitting from the needle at the point a: of the rowA to the needle at the point y of the same, thence across to the needle at the point y of the row B, thence to the needle at the point :c of the same, thence back to the needle at the point y, thence across to the needle at the point y of the row A, thence to the needle at the point o0 of the same, and so on until the desired length of fabric for the heel is produced, additional needles being thrown into action successively at the points 'y of both rows at the beginning of the operation, so as to gradually widen the web-say to about the point w-after which the knitting is continued upon the needles then in action until the desired length of heel has been produced. The eifect of this operation is to produce a bag or pocket D with seamless bottom, selvaged front edges c, a, and tapered or rounded lower corner b, as shown in Fig. l. The needles in cach row from r to o are now thrown Y Iportion of the stocking, so as to insure the prop er formation of stitches in the rst anklelcourse, which is that around the edge d in l Fig. l, and is represented by thedotted line Z in Fig. 2, the rib-course being removed prior l to applying the ankle stitches to another Inachine for forming the foot, as hereinafter set forth.

After the desired length of ankle portion hasbeen knitted the needles of each row beyond the needles LU are successively thrown in to action, so as to gradually widen the knitted tube and form the calf portion G of the stocking, this widening being continued until the needles, say, up to the point u are in action and the tube is of the proper size for the calf portion of the leg, the tube being knitted of this size up to the top of the leg.

The leg being removed from the machine on which it was produced, the loops around the edges d d of the front half of the ankle portion of the tube are applied to the needles of one-half of a separate machine-for instance,

` to the needles on the row A of the machine,

(shown in Fig. 5,) and the production of the tube for the body of the foot of the stocking is proceeded with upon this second machine,

the upper half or instep portion of the tube being thus united by a seamless union to the lower edge of the front half of the ankle portion of the leg tube, while the other or under half of the tube is free, as shown in Fig. 2. Immediately upon commencing to form the foot-tube, the latter is narrowed by dropping a number of wales, preferably at each end of thus forming narrowings on each side of the foot, as at m', Fig. 2, so that the foot portion 'lhe last narrowing operations contract the i diameter of the tube to the proper shape for the toe, and on casting oft the tube fromy the machine looped edges f f are presented, which are secured together in order to close the toe,

as shown at s, Fig. 3, the stocking being completed by securing the looped edges g gI at the inner end of thek foot-tube to the selvage edges a a at the front of the heel-pocket, as shown at t in Fig. 3. By this means a fullfashioned or perfectly-shaped stocking, withont any objectionable seams, is produced at a more rapid rate and at less expense than in making a full-fashioned stocking in the ordinary way. Y

Although in carrying out our invention it is advisable to form the narrowings i-n the foot portion of thev tube at the inner or instep end of the same, the essential features of our invention may be embodied in a stocking in which theseV narrowings are omitted, and it will be evident that in making the leg o f the stocking an operation the reverse of thatforsay, the leg may be commenced at the top and narrowed at the calf and heel, the latter in this case consisting of a web with innerselvaged edges and being open at the bottom, but presenting at this point looped edges, which may be subsequently connected without forming an objectionable seam. In this case,..also, the-whole stocking may be formed on the same machine, a tubular web being produced on the two rows of needles until it be thrown out of action, but permitted to retain their stitches, the heel-web being formed on the other set and being narrowed at the center as it approaches completion, the web when completed being cast oif, so as to per mit of the formation of the foot-tube upon both sets of needles.

Although we have described a special form of machine for the production of the stocking, we are not necessarily limited to the use j of such a machine, as it will be evident that the tubes for the leg and foot of the stocking can be produced in the manner set forth in .our application iiled March 26, 1889, Serial 'No. 304,865, if desired. the machine, say, up to the line 'm fm, Fig. 5,

Having thus described our invention, we

iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patl entof the stocking is widest at the commencei 1. A stocking having a seamless tubular leg and a heel-pocket with selvaged front edges and shaped seamless lower corner, due to the varying length of the courses of .stitches at and near the bottom of the heel, and having the bod-y of the foot com-posed of a seamless tube/the upper portion of which at the instep forms a seamless union with the front of the ankle portion of the leg, the lower portion of the tube being united to the selvaged front edges of the heel-pocket, all substantially as specified.

2. A stocking having a heel-pocket with selvaged front edges and sh'aped lower corner, due to the varying length of the courses l at and near the bottom of the heel', and having a seamless tubular leg with shaped calf, idue to the varying length of the courses in the calf portion of the tube, the body of the foot being composed of a seamlesstubc, the upper portion of which at the instep formsy a lseamless union with thel front of the ankle portion of the leg, the lower portion of the 3. A stocking having a seamless tubular leg and a seamless heel-pocket withselvaged ifron-t edges, the body of the foot consisting x of a seamless tube, the upper portion of which` at the instep forms a seamless union with theV i, front of the ankle portion of thel leg, the A lower portion of the tube being united to the .j selvaged front edges of the heel-pocket, all substantially as specified.

merly described may be adopted-that is to 4C. A stocking having. a seamless tubular front of the ankle, the lower portion bein-g united to theselv'aged front edges of the heelpocket, and the tube having a series of wales dropped therefrom at and near the toe, and

having its fro-nt edges looped together across f the toe, all substantially as specified. is desired to form the heel, when one set may IOO IIO

@leg and a heel-pocket with selvaged front edges, the body of the foot consisting of a seamless tube, the upper portion of which at the instep forms a seamless union with theV 5. A stocking having a seamless tubular j wales dropped therefrom at toe and instep,

the top of the tube at the instep forming a names to this specification in the presence of seamless union with the front of the ankle, two subscribing Witnesses. the lower portion of the tube being united to the selvaged front edges of the heel-pocket, and the front edges of the tube being` looped together across the toe7 all substantially as Witnesses:

GEO. D. STREET,

specied.

In testimony whereof We have signed our HARRY SMITH. 

